Category: Motivation

There’s this story burning inside of you. It’s a blistering kind of heat that you just can’t escape. However, you still haven’t completed your book. You’re somewhere between start and stuck. It’s time to move forward and get this book done quickly.

There’s this story burning inside of you. It’s a blistering kind of heat that you just can’t escape. However, you still haven’t completed your book. You’re somewhere between start and stuck. It’s time to move forward and get this book done quickly.

Use the 5 Tips I’m about to share with you so that you can go from start to finish. Because it’s time.

1. Sit your behind down and write. Stop thinking about writing. Stop talking about writing.Stop romanticizing writing, sit yourself in a chair and get to typing or writing.

2. Establish a concrete timeline for the publication of your book. The first thing I ask any of Publishing Pow-Wow clients is, “When would you like to see your book in the hands of the reader?” Defining this helps set all other goals. This timeline will become the basis and foundation for you to get things done quickly. When do you want to see your book on shelves–six months from now two months from now two years from now? This will inform your word count goal and the development of your marketing plan (yes, you have to market the book). Some say you have to write everyday and there are others who say it’s okay to take break between the words. This timeline will tell you whether or not you can afford to take a break.

3. Outline your book. I’m sure you’ve heard of the great debate by now–to plot or to pants. I am mostly a pantser. However, when you reach a point in your manuscript where you just can’t write, it’s time to put your pants on and plot it out. Here’s a lose plot formula you can follow:

Plot driven: Protagonist–goal+motivation+obstacle+pursuit+obstacle+motivation revisited+earth shattering obstacle/revelation+decision to fight or take flight+aftermath=the end

Character Driven: inciting incident +goal+flaw+confrontation or obstacle+character ignores flaw and keeps on going+confrontation or obstacle character admits flaw but doesn’t changes=death or change (the flaw begins to have a tremendous impact on character) it’s time for change or go down with sinking ship.

4. Use your technology to get it done. I get it you’re all over the place. You have kids. You have a full-time job or demanding career, so there’s very little time for playing with words, which is why you need to steal time and allow technology to work for you. If you don’t have time to sit down and write yet you see whole scenes in your head dictate it.

If you’re on the go a lot like me. Use the notes function, pages, or Evernote to type your story. I typed more than half of my second novel, Seasoned with Grace on my phone and I typed the draft of this blog post on my phone.

5. Deal with all of your contaminating thoughts.

When a river is polluted or contaminated nothing can grow there or live their. New life can’t be created (and all you science buff, who are thinking about mutations and all that jazz, don’t come for me save it for your book and let me just use this analogy). Your mind is the river and your book is the life form that is dying because of how polluted your thoughts are. This step is the most important, but had I started with this tip you wouldn’t believe me, because it’s not one of the things we really discuss when we discuss writing. Get out of your head and your feelings. Don’t let the fear of rejection block you or stop you. Rejection is going to come, “rejection is apart of the process”. Do not allow your credentials or lack thereof stop you either. For all the writing classes I’ve taken I have never taken a fiction writing class. That didn’t stop me from writing a novel and it better not stop you.

Get busy and if you need more help getting out of your head checkout the replay of the Working Writers Series Day 1.

If you’re interested in joining me for full on Working Writers’ Workshops please let me know in the comments.

So, this might be the antithesis to all business advice out there, but I’m telling you it’s ok if you can’t quit your job. There’s probably more pressure than ever telling you that you’re not successful if you’re not able to quit your job. But listen here, it’s ok if you can’t quit your job.

1️⃣ You can’t live someone’s narrative.

Most authors and lovers of literature are familiar with the unreliable narrator; you should be too. It very well may be the voice trying to convince you that you need to quit your day job. Be wary of stories coming from people who walked away from six-figure jobs to pursue their passion or those stories of people who catapulted to overnight success. Don’t let their story convince you that you’re not doing enough or doing it incorrectly, especially if you didn’t get all the details or the back end of the story. It’s okay if you can’t quit your day job.

2️⃣ Your bills have to be paid.

Bottom line. Point blank. Period. Your bills must be paid (and having health insurance is a plus). If you have young lives depending on your decisions and you paycheck you are not a failure, a punk, nor is your faith weak if you’re not willing to take the leap. If you can’t afford it, don’t push yourself into an unnecessary struggle or take on an extra dose of mom guilt. When Satan told Jesus to cast himself from the top of the mount for angels to catch him Jesus reminded Satan that we should not tempt God. Meaning, don’t purposefully put yourself into tricky situations just to see the word of God fulfilled in your life. You’re not doing anything wrong by starting a business and maintaining your full-time job until your business takes off. Really, it’s okay if you can’t quit your job.
Now, if quitting your day job is what you want to do:

Set a quit date.

Calculate how many units you need to sell per month to replace or exceed your monthly income.

Determine what you need to do monthly, weekly, and daily in order to start generating that type of income. That includes what type of content you’ll use to promote your business on social media.

It is great to have people in your life that support you, uplift you, and motivate you, but at the end of the day you need these four things to keep you moving forward when pursuing your passion.
1️⃣ Confidence in the Spirit of God living within you and working with you should be enough to move you forward.
2️⃣ Your quality of life should be enough motivation to move forward.

This 4th of July I’m working on obtaining the Independence we’re supposed to be celebrating. The independence that our ancestors were anticipating when they joined the Continental Army. Some African American slaves willingly joined with the Patriots because they believed their freedom was around the corner. Turns out it didn’t work that way, but I’m still working on getting my independence, which is my Inheritance because who the son sets free is free indeed. Okay, let stop preaching and share what freedom looks like to me.

Creating My Own Flat Lay for the #GetyourInheritance Marketing Challenge

🔹Freedom to worship my God, in any way I please.

🔹Freedom to raise my family in peace and safety.

🔹Freedom to support my family using my gifts.

What’s does freedom look like for you? Are you an author or creative entrepreneur? Do you want to join the #GetyourInheritance Free a Marketing Challenge? Follow the blog: Get Your Inheritanceor Join our tribe.

This is late breaking news and I would have gotten this to you sooner, but it’s been crazy since I came home. The news I have to share with you is so awesome that a regular ol’ blog post just wouldn’t do.

Writing can be done for your own personal edification. Some of us have purposely focused on writing a project with the thought of being a best selling author, where others, like myself just felt the urge to express some deep, significant thought or circumstance, situation or ideal that needs to be birthed for your personal sanity.

Creativity is intrinsic in every person. Just as jewels and pearls are fostered through time, pressure, heat, agitation, and force we at times do not realize how to express the creativeness inside us until some pivotal season in our lives. When writing never been afraid to write what you see, feel or experience while your own emotions are flooding to the surface for expression just as the molten lava of a volcanic eruption tells a tale of depth, pressure, heat, and time.

Read books that inspire you. Words are powerful and they do visit the hearts of its readers.

Don’t be discouraged by the days of silence, just patiently wait for the flooding of an idea, a powerful sentence or paragraph that will reach into your soul pulling out chapter after chapter. Never stop thinking about writing.

About the Author

Retired from being a Senior Pastor and refocused to oversee her Spiritual daughter’s pastoral mandate, Dr. Ezreaonne Jackson embraces a new chapter in her life. Her endeavors are to further her education to include Marketing and Media, serve her community, utilize life coaching skills, embark on International ministry and expand her literary expressions. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Theological Studies from the Regency Christian College in Jacksonville, Florida and received an Honorary Doctorate in Ministry from Trinity Bible College in Richmond, VA. Dr. Ezreaonne Jackson’s message is one that is precise in the strategy of developing and defining vision and purpose.

There is nothing new under the sun, which means that regardless of what you’re passionate about there is someone who shares the same passion and may be making great gains in the field or industry that you are trying to break into. As you look at their resume it seems like you’re standing next to a giant and you are a dwarf. They’ve made so many gains and in such a short time–how could you possibly compete?

Don’t.

Let me say that again. Don’t.

The pathway to your (your) passion is not a competition. Nor is it a race. It’s a marathon.

You’re going to go around the track a lot of times. Some laps you’ll eat up and others will beat you down and have your legs feeling like jelly. You’ll see other runners turn the corner while you’re still holding an aching rib, but don’t fix your eyes on their race, insteadwith patience run the race that is set before you (Hebrews 12:1).Stay in your lane.

The pathway to your passion is yours and you don’t have to replicate anyone else’s success or try to match or beat their time. What you have to do is walk or run the course that Lord has laid out specifically for you recognizing that there is no limit to what God is able to do for you, through you, and to you.

The Neophyte Author is excited to present a woman who went into business to dispel the myth that black businesses have horrible customer service. This week’s “More Than” Monday feature is a sweet treat coming from a mom who demonstrated the characteristics of a Proverbs 31 woman when it came time to provide for her family. Nigeria Rolling-Ford owner of Couture Cake Boutique, LLC shares how to overcome when you feel like giving up and the process of re-branding, which is something important to consider when trying to elevate your business or stand out from the crowd. Not only is Nigeria a great baker she’s my name twin (LOL).

What motivated you to start Couture Cake Boutique?

Couture Cake Boutique began with the realization that my family’s financial needs outpaced what we were currently earning. We would soon have a high school senior that would need a ton of financial help and I needed to generate more income by doing something that I loved to do.

Your company recently underwent the process of rebranding–can you explain what that is and what prompted you to do this?

Yes. Rebranding is when a business changes their logo, mission statement, and/or advertising with the goal of taking the business to another level.

My rebranding began in January of 2014. As I mentioned earlier, when I began this business it was more out of a financial need. However, as my customer base began to explode through word of mouth and social media, I decided to make a real go at it with the hopes of being able to one day leave my day job and focus solely on Couture Cake Boutique.

How do find time for yourself in the midst of running your own business, running a family, and working full-time?

I multi-task. Those of us who are moms or actually anyone in today’s fast-paced world knows what it means to wear multiple hats. I have extended hours and am always available to return a request for a quote or question from a client simply due today’s technology.

Has there ever been a moment in which you considered giving up? How did you resist that feeling?

Yes. I recently took on a job that was larger than I could handle. This particular job simply did not turn out well and I was crushed. I wanted to all but hide under a rock. But, I learned what my limits are. The very next day my phone began to ring off the hook with potential business. Lol. We don’t actually have phone hooks anymore.

What advice would you give to any woman who desires to be “more than”?

My advice to any woman who desires to be “more than” is to simply be more than. Sometimes if you walk in the actions of what you want to be, you will find that you have become just that.

For some custom made cakes, cupcakes, and excellent customer service (trust me I know Couture Cake Boutique supplied the cupcakes for the Born at Dawn Cover Reveal Party) please visit Couture Cake Boutique online at:

This Tuesday the Neophyte Author had the opportunity and privilege to appear on a segment, “SisterGirlfriends” on the Sharvette Mitchell Radio Show, During the show we discussed why I write fiction for the renewed mind and the characters in Born at Dawn.

In my mind I planned on launching the greatest publicity/marketing campaign ever. I contacted a publicist (she was too expensive). Then I decided I would hire one or all of the book publicist I’ve seen marketing some of the trailblazers of my genre. I was all set and geared up to work with them and then a friend of mine needed a loan. Now we all know how this story goes…I handed them the money…emphasized I needed this money to take over the world…so far I haven’t seen a dime…and I keep on seeing them with new stuff (but that’s another story). After some prayer the Lord reminded me that“the wicked borroweth and payeth not again”and I on the other hand was supposed to lend with out expecting to be repaid. I sucked it up and then said, “but God, how am I going to promote this book?” and he told me to run on.So, I spent this week running my fingers across my keyboard–typing emails requesting features and interviews from bloggers and blogtalkradio show hosts and you know what? Praise be to God, I’ve begun booking three different tours. Two pre-release and one post release. When God turns things around He really knows how to work a situation out. The God of the Bible is not dead nor are His promises.I hope you will join me and support me while I tour the web on the first of many Virtual Book Tours.